Patterns of English Pronunciation among Nigerian University Undergraduates: Challenges and Prospects
Ubong Josiah, Helen Bodunde, Esther Robert

Abstract
The spoken English in Nigeria exhibits features that are explicitly distinctive, and thus, a cynosure for linguistic investigation. This paper undertakes a study of the pronunciation patterns of English words by final-year university undergraduates drawn from four Nigerian universities. Sixty-five (65) respondents, all of them Nigerians, were chosen from nineteen linguistic groups using the stratified random sampling technique. The subjects for the study comprised Nigerians with varying sociolinguistic, ethnic, cultural and educational backgrounds. Adopting an eclectic approach for its theoretical thrust, the paper observes that the performance of the respondents poses some major challenges to L2 teachers of English in Nigeria generally. However, the researchers equally observe that there are some prospects depending on the approaches or methodologies adopted for learners and trainees. Based on this observation, the study re-emphasizes the need for appropriateness in pronunciation through the use of computer-aided programmes as teaching aids for proactive and heuristic results.

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